The Garden
Start hereThe Thinker, The Gates of Hell, The Burghers of Calais, Balzac and Meditation.
5 must-sees in the garden →
← Rodin guide overview
MUSÉE RODIN · PLAN YOUR VISIT
How to visit the Musée Rodin, garden first
Tickets, opening hours, how the garden and the house fit together, and a 2-hour plan for a dry morning.
Tickets: one price, garden and house
One ticket covers the Hôtel Biron and the three-hectare sculpture garden. Booking isn’t required for individual visitors, but it’s worth it on weekends and sunny days.
Combined tickets are also sold with the Musée d’Orsay.
Book on musee-rodin.fr ↗| Visitor | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult | €14 |
| Under 18 | Free |
| EU/EEA residents 18–25 | Free |
| Everyone, first Sunday from October to March | Free |
Prices are from the official site. Confirm before booking.
Opening hours
- MONClosed
- TUE10:00–18:30
- WED10:00–18:30
- THU10:00–18:30
- FRI10:00–18:30
- SAT10:00–18:30
- SUN10:00–18:30
Last entry 17:45. Also closed Jan 1, May 1 and Dec 25. Quietest: 10:00 on a weekday, before the tour groups arrive around 11:00. Pick a dry day: the garden is half the visit.
Getting there
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Metro 13
Varenne, then a 3-minute walk.
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RER C
Invalides, about 10 minutes on foot.
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On foot
Next door to Les Invalides, 15 to 20 minutes from the Musée d’Orsay.
Garden and house, two halves
Five of the eleven essential works stand outdoors. The garden holds the icons; the house holds the intimate work, the studies and Rodin’s own collection.
The House
Then insideThe Hôtel Biron: The Kiss in marble, the Danaïd, and the Van Gogh Rodin owned, upstairs.
6 must-sees in the house →A 2-hour plan that works
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10:00 · 5 min
Arrive at opening
Come on a dry morning and head straight into the garden.
The house can wait. The garden is best while it’s quiet and the light is good.
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10:05 · about 45 min
The garden first
The Thinker first, then back towards The Gates of Hell. The Burghers of Calais sit low near the water; Balzac and Meditation are further along.
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10:50 · about 1 hour
Then the house
Ground floor first: The Age of Bronze in Room 3, The Kiss in 5, the Danaïd in 7. Upstairs: The Cathedral in 10, the Van Gogh in 12, The Walking Man in 17.
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11:50 · about 20 min
Coffee in the garden
The garden café sits under the trees behind the rose beds, one of the nicest museum stops in Paris.
Next: the Musée d’Orsay is a 15 to 20-minute walk.
Six small things worth knowing
- Garden firstDo the outdoor sculptures while the light is best.
- Check the weatherLight rain empties the garden but soaks the paths.
- Morning lightIt hits The Thinker face-on before noon.
- Small bags onlyLarge backpacks and suitcases aren’t allowed inside.
- Don’t skip upstairsThe marbles and studies show how Rodin worked.
- Lunch in the garden caféIt gets busy around midday, so go early or late.
Quick answers
Do I need to book in advance?
Not required for individual visitors, but recommended on weekends and sunny days.
How long should I spend?
90 minutes to 2 hours covers everything, roughly half of it outdoors.
Which works shouldn’t I miss?
Start with The Thinker and The Gates of Hell in the garden, then see the full 11.
Do I need an audio guide?
Not required, but labels are short. A guide tells you what to look for while you stand in front of the work.
